The Londonderry High School boys volleyball team closed out a strong regular season by splitting its final two matches, finishing with an impressive 13-3 record and earning the No. 4 seed in the upcoming NHIAA Division I State Championship.
The Lancers will now turn their attention to the postseason, where they are set to host No. 5 Goffstown boys volleyball in a quarterfinal matchup Friday night at 6 p.m.
Londonderry began the final week on a high note with a straight-set road victory over Souhegan on May 25. The Lancers controlled the match throughout, winning 25-20, 25-22, and 26-24, showcasing both offensive balance and defensive consistency.
Gavin Doughty led the way with 13 kills, while Peter Pispitsos added eight kills and five aces. Everett Vago contributed across the board with seven kills and 11 assists, and setter Theo Paccione orchestrated the offense with 21 assists to go along with two aces. The depth of the roster was evident, as 10 different players recorded statistics in the win.
The regular season finale came on Senior Night against a one-loss Coe-Brown squad, and it proved to be a battle. After taking the opening set 25-22, the Lancers dropped the next two before rallying to force a decisive fifth set with a 25-19 win in the fourth.
However, Coe-Brown edged Londonderry 15-11 in the final set to take the match.
Doughty once again paced the offense with 16 kills and added 11 digs, while Vago delivered a standout all-around performance with nine kills, 12 assists, and 15 digs. Paccione dished out 24 assists and contributed two aces and eight digs, and Owen Dembkoski made his presence felt at the net with five blocks.
Defensively, the Lancers were anchored by Gavin Richert (15 digs) and Liam Evans (12 digs), helping keep the match competitive throughout.
Despite the tough loss, Londonderry’s body of work throughout the season earned them a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the quarterfinal round. With a balanced attack, strong defensive play, and depth across the lineup, the Lancers will look to make a deep postseason run as they host Goffstown with a trip to the semifinals on the line.